Star Wars- A Shift In Perspective
by xXThomasXx
Summary: "There are things I haven't told you, things I've kept to myself for a very long time." -Obi-Wan Kenobi What if the Chosen One didn't fall, and the Dark Side clutched that of his closest friend and brother? What would this mean for the future of the Jedi Order, the Sith, and the Galactic Empire? How would the Galaxy be changed? Read on and find out!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: Before I forget, all rights to Star Wars, it's characters and properties, goes to the man- George Lucas. All rights to OC's included in this story are mine. :) Enjoy, and if you like it, rate and review!**

"It's over Anakin," Obi-Wan mocked him. "I have the high ground."

Anakin stared at this man on the bank of black soot and ash, the intense heat of the particles and smoke making him appear as if there was a bleak aura around him, so it gave the impression the tragedy he had become was being forcefully mirrored back at him tenfold. Looking at his face, Anakin was painfully reminded of the bond they had once shared together as they had fought as equals more than countless times, doing what was best to serve the Republic and apprehend their enemies at every turn…

Except, this time, the enemy within had struck a blow too deadly to recover from, and the poison had already worked its way into the heart of a brother.

"Please," Anakin emotions were straining to overcome him. "There's still hope. Come back to us. I'm offering you this last chance. Don't make me do this Obi-Wan!"

Obi-Wan chuckled, the way he usually did, but not often had Anakin heard it tinged with a lace of sorrow.

"I'm sorry Anakin," he said. "But it's too late for that now. I have found a new purpose. I've failed to see it for so long, but the dark side gives me all that being with the light could never have. I now serve a new master, and with him, a new role to play."

"I can't let you do this," Anakin could feel his voice straining not to break, was holding back the wetness from his eyes. "This is wrong! You aren't the brother I once knew. The dark side is fear and suffering. The Obi-Wan I knew would never sink to temptation!"

Obi-Wan's eyes, once an oceanic blue, now turned into a turmoil of orange and yellow, gazed at him, his sorrowful demeanor slightly reproachful. "If only you could understand the grander scheme of things, Anakin. My eyes have been opened at long last. There are things I haven't told you. Things I've kept to myself for a very long time."

"Your mind has been twisted!" Anakin shouted, his anger and frustration at what had been done to his friend overcoming him. "Don't even you yourself understand? You're their pawn, just another piece in their game! You were my brother! I loved you!"

"Maybe once," Obi-Wan's eyes flickered down as he began to turn away from the edge of the bank. "But now, no more."

Anakin's sorrow finally burst free of its cage, and with a roar filled with so many desires, determinations and resolves, he leapt from the floating platform, his lightsaber a stark blue arc in contrast to the harsh environment…


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

Obi-Wan's lightsaber flashed as it ignited and he attempted to strike at Anakin as he came down towards the ground. However, he missed his intended target by millimeters and now lay open to attack. Anakin's weapon sliced first through Obi-Wan's wrist, removing from him the hand with which he held his weapon, and then in a second swipe, removed his legs, cutting them both clean off just above the knee. Obi-Wan howled in anguish as he toppled backwards, hitting the bed of ashes and beginning to slide down the slope. Anakin felt a lump begin to form within his throat as he looked down at the changed man he had once loved with every fiber of his being. Obi-Wan roared, true anger he had never thought was possible from a man as calm as him showing in every muscle of his face, his eyes which had once been a soothing ocean now filled with a sickly fire.  
>"I'm sorry Master," Anakin solemnly said. "I can't help you. Not this time." He stepped forward, reached down, and plucked the former Jedi's weapon from the severed hand.<p>

"I…" Obi-Wan gasped as unimaginable heat began licking up what remained of his legs, screaming with a coarse yell the last few words Anakin would remember for the rest of his life.  
>"YOU ARE NO BROTHER OF MINE!"<br>He began screaming again, but not just in anguish, in pain as well. They blended together in a horror Anakin was sure he'd never truly recover from.  
>The last he saw of his old friend before he turned away was a furnace: Obi-Wan Kenobi's lower body cooking, his screaming visage and his last words would forever be seared within Anakin Skywalker's mind, whether he ultimately reached a state of peace, or turmoil.<p>

_20 years later_

Anakin Skywalker stared down at the damp ground, a frown creased over his furthermore aged features.  
>"Should I see them, Master?" he asked a small green creature sitting behind him on a large tree root. "Should I risk facing the guilt of not being there when I should have?"<p>

The small green creature named Master Yoda regarded him with eyes that had accumulated centuries of wisdom and knowledge. "Doubt yourself, you should not, Skywalker. Do, or do not; there is no try."

"I ask of you what you think may be best."

"Cloud yourself, you must not, of indecision. If, remove all doubt you do, find your own path, you will."

"What about…" sorrow momentarily creased his features as he paused. "Obi-Wan?"

Master Yoda hrumphed. "Much darkness I sense surrounding your future, Skywalker. Come a time, that face your former master again, you will. Ready, I feel you are. Much wiser, you have become."

Anakin bowed his head. "I will return."

Yoda smiled up at him, "Believe you, I do."

With that, Anakin turned around and made way to his starship that he had only primed for use within two weeks of the twenty years he had spent as a hermit on Dagobah.

"I sure hope this works," he muttered under his breath as he hopped into the cockpit.

Artoo was no longer with him, and each time he subconsciously looked at the empty astromech droid's hatch he felt a pang of nostalgia. It would be good to have the droid accompany him again, but he doubted that after twenty years and after everything that happened he would find him again. After Obi-Wan's fall, he had become the newly titled Darth Drideas, or, as fearful day-going people nicknamed him, he was The Negotiator. It saddened Anakin to think that the formerly revered title had now been stained black with fear and loathing.  
>"Here goes," he talked to himself, as he attempted igniting the engine. After a few bouts of frustration and several fruitless attempts, the lights slowly blinked on one by one, and the engines began to hum into life. "Booyah!" he cried out, and suddenly realized how foolish that must have sounded. "Good one Skywalker," he grumbled.<p>

He took a moment to sigh at how quickly the times had changed, and plotted a course for Tatooine- his ungraceful home, a home he hadn't laid eyes on for two decades.

Another thought struck him as he got a chance to view himself in the reflection of the cockpit window. He chuckled, stroking his beard, oddly liking what he saw. "This could be a keeper. Hmm."

Senator Padme Amidala stood outside on a balcony overlooking the Alderaan expanse of grassy plains and flowing rivers twice the size of the Grand Canyon. Each time she was out here alone, with the cool breeze playing with her hair and making a pleasant sensation on her cheeks, her thoughts would drift to Anakin. Where was he? Was he all right? Had he survived the Great Jedi Purge? Each of these questions ripped at her with emotion and anxiety, which had made living with Bail Organa's family, and without the children she had birthed, heartbreaking. Even though she knew it was for the good of their family to have separated, one being a Jedi, Padme found it unbearably difficult. The stress had weighed on her for so long she had resigned, and let it control her life. She would never rest until she saw her husband and children again. Her worry had aged her significantly. Although she still retained her beautiful features, there were a few more lines on her forehead and her eyes had dark rings around them that hadn't cleared up in a very long time.

"Senator Amidala," a voice spoke behind her. She turned and saw Bail Organa, and gave him a thin smile.

"Is everything alright?"

"You know the answer to that, Bail. You've seen me worry longer than anyone. You should know what I'm going through. Every day is a struggle. I will only be satisfied when I have even the slightest proof that Ani is alive, and that my children are safe."

Bail walked forward and leaned on the balcony next to her, and she took a moment to appreciate just how tired he was as well. Being a politician of the Rebel Alliance was a stressful and unforgiving position.  
>"Your children are safe, Padme," he said. "You know this. Ahsoka is keeping an eye on them at Uncle Beru's place."<p>

"Yes, but how long will that last?" Padme looked at Bail in the eye. "Not while Darth Sidious and… The Negotiator, have control. There are Imperials everywhere, Bail. Everywhere. Jedi are still dying, and I know it's only a matter of time before Ahsoka, the twins, or Anakin are found. For all I know Stormtroopers could be striking them down right now."

Bail sighed. "I can't say you're wrong to think that, Padme. But I have a feeling that Anakin Skywalker may still be alive. He went in hiding with Master Yoda after all. Even if he were alone, I have enough confidence in him to know he can look after himself."

Padme smiled at him, "So do I Bail, but that doesn't stop me worrying. There were Jedi more experienced than him who died almost the moment Order 66 was issued. It's not about how experienced he is. It's luck."

Bail breathed in deeply and let out a sigh. "Well, I suppose all anyone can do right now is hope. Believe me Padme, there still is. There is still hope of overwhelming this oppression of the Empire, and that Anakin might still be alive. I may not be a Jedi, but I have intuition, and my intuition tells me that yes, he is alive."


	3. Chapter Two

**Author's note: Hey guys! Back with the second chapter. This one's a little longer, so I hope you enjoy. More will come in the very near future, as I have the time to invest in this for a while!  
><strong>**Additionally, a big thank to all those who have reviewed and followed the story so far, please do keep it coming! This is my first proper FanFiction, so bear with me while I get used to the format. :)  
><strong>**And, on a little side note, here's a morsel for those who are interesting in the Obi/Anakin swap over. It isn't an EXACT swap over of their roles, as in Obi-Wan hasn't ended up with the Darth Vader suit. He has DEFINITELY changed though, which you will get the chance to see later on. ;)**

Finally, after all these years, her new lightsaber was complete.  
>The older, wiser Ahsoka Tano stood up, relishing the exact and perfect weight of the newly constructed handle in her hand. It wasn't exactly beautiful, with metal of a darker hue than the traditional lightsaber handles, but it was definitely on its way to become a new beacon of hope in the forming Rebellion. After a few more seconds of reveling in her painstaking work, she thumbed on the switch, and a bright yellow blade flickered into life. She took a sharp intake of breath as memories both joyous and painful flooded through her. It reminded her of times long ago, when she had used to be a Jedi, right back to when Jedi Master Plo Koon had taken her to the temple all those years ago, all the way up to the point Anakin Skywalker had taken her on as an apprentice.<br>This new lightsaber was as if she was reliving all those moments again. She began swinging it around in her Shoto grip, almost laughing at how free it felt and further relishing in what had been deprived of her for years. As she continued twirling, flipping, swiping and stabbing an imaginary foe, the lightsaber's sun-coloured shadow illuminated with hers in the space of the large cavern. After a while of performing several katas and movements and stopping with the conclusion that she was slightly rusty, but it would be no issue within a weeks or two's dedicated practice, she surveyed what had become her home while she was in hiding. It was nothing spectacular, it having once been home to a Krayt dragon, and the pungent smell of it had taken a while to get used to, but she had got used to it eventually, and it happened to be about fifteen minutes from Owen and Lars' homestead. Anakin himself had tasked her, before he had left to go into hiding, to watch over the Skywalker twins as they grew up.  
>Ahsoka felt that now was the time to completely reveal her presence to Luke and Leia and tell them everything about their past. After twenty years having hidden herself from the radar of the Empire, it was time to spearhead the Rebel Alliance once and for all. All of a sudden, a cry out through the force disrupted her thoughts. A cry coming from nearby. She recognized his force signature. "Luke!" she exclaimed, and ran over to her speeder.<p>

* * *

><p>Luke Skywalker watched the holo-message over and over again, trying to discern more meaning from it. It was all very confusing. The most he could garner from it was that it was directed to a former Jedi named Ahsoka. As he watched, another Jedi who looked startlingly similar to him materialized in a blue hue. <em>"Hey Ahsoka," <em>he spoke. _"You remember how I was going to explain to you in detail the events that transpired before we had to part ways? I'm sorry I haven't got back to you sooner. If and when you read this message, I will take this opportunity to say that I am sorry, but I had to hide myself somewhere before there was a risk of me being discovered and killed." _There was a pregnant pause in which he sighed. _"I hadn't had a chance to tell you. The enemy we now face was once our friend and mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I wasn't ready to tell you, not yet. The truth is, he never died back on Mustafar. He has taken a new name, Darth Drideas, and is now in league with the Empire and apprentice to Darth Sidious. The Jedi are separated, but are still alive in corners of the Galaxy. If we can somehow unite them under our banner, and fight against this oppression, we may have a chance of winning this fight, and maybe even to bring Obi…" _he lowered his head for a moment and took a few deep breaths. It was obvious this was a personal subject for him. _"To… to bring Obi-Wan back to the light. If you're watching this Snips, don't waste any time. Unite the Rebellion, reveal yourself to the twins, and teach them the ways of the force. You've watched over them for years now, and they are ready."  
><em>The transmission faded, leaving Luke to ponder once again about what this meant. Did this mean he would finally become a fabled Jedi, a revered symbol of the past? Leia too? Was he about to leave his old life behind? Artoo bweeped, disrupting Luke's thoughts. "Yes, Artoo!" he chided. "But I think this is important." A thought suddenly struck him. "Hey… where can I find her? Ahsoka? Is she still here on Tatooine, right now?" Artoo made his usual reply, and Luke sighed. "Is there any way I can possibly find out?"  
>"Are you seriously still pondering over that message?" it was Leia. He craned his neck back to find her standing in the doorway of the workshop, her arms folded. "For all we know, if we ever were to risk partaking in battle against the Empire, we'd be killed on day one. They've only grown stronger, and there's a reason why all the Jedi, the so-called peacekeepers of the galaxy, have gone into hiding. They can't fight it, and I doubt either of us would make-"<br>"The Krayt Dragon…" Luke interrupted her, his mind overcome by yet another epiphany.  
>Leia frowned. "What?"<br>"Did you ever hear about Annie and I's encounter with the Krayt Dragon?"  
>"Of course I have! I'm your sister. Besides, what's that Krayt Dragon got to do with any of this?"<br>"Because we were about to be killed, Leia. We didn't end up 'killing' it. That was a story we made up to impress our friends at the time, and anyone who would listen. We'd lured the dragon out of its cave. We'd known it had been there for a while, so we decided to try and kill it, not only for fun, but to give us each some credits to spare for its hide. Unfortunately for us though, things began to grow bad quite quickly. Annie was badly wounded, and I was focusing all my attention on keeping him safe and away from the Krayt Dragon, but it had us backed up against a rock face, and it was coming in for the kill. I'd lost my pike, Annie had lost his, and the whole situation was looking hopeless. But then, something interesting happened: just when its claws were going to rake into us, it stopped, clearly not of its own volition. It looked as confused as us, swaying around and going back the way it had come, towards the cave…"  
>"Nice story," Leia interrupted him. If there had been any slight sign of interest, she hadn't shown it. "Get to the point."<br>"And I saw this figure. This hooded figure, hands outstretched towards it, as if drawing it back in, bending it to its will. I turned back to Annie, who was groaning in pain from the ragged wound in his leg, and lifted him up from the ground so that his arm was around my shoulder. I turned back… and both the Krayt Dragon and the hooded figure were gone, just like that, as if they'd never been there and we'd never been in any danger. Sometimes I wonder if that last bit were real or just a dream, it seemed so unnatural."  
>Leia's frown deepened. "Are you trying to say the hooded figure you claim to have seen was… this Jedi?"<br>"Yes," Luke said vehemently, meeting her gaze. "I believe that was Ahsoka."  
>Leia shook her head, "You know Luke, I'll admit there are times when I think you're crazy, but this is downright insane."<br>Luke grinned, "You say these things, but you're still my twin."  
>"Ha ha. Very clever."<br>Luke stood up facing her, "I'm going to do this though. I am going out there, right now-"  
>Leia held up her hands to stop him getting any further, "Whoa there! You're doing what? Going out into the harsh and unforgiving desert to look for someone that may not even be there? You have to understand my skepticism but the way you described that story just then didn't sound very convincing to me."<br>Luke sighed, "Your stubbornness has no limit, does it?"  
>"It's there for a good reason though, to keep you and your crazy head on its shoulders!"<br>"You know that nothing you can do or say will change my mind, right?"  
>"Maybe not, but Owen and Beru will be rather interested to know about this." Luke threw up his hands in disbelief, "Come on! Don't spare them any more grief than they already have, they won't mind. They'll think I've gone to trade in some more spare parts from overused astromechs or something." Behind him, Artoo made a long bwooping sound. "Uh… sorry Artoo. But… you get my point, they won't know I've ever been out by the time I come back, and even if they did they'd assume I'd never do anything out of the ordinary. I'm a grown man now, Leia. I should be able to walk my <em>own <em>path."  
>He made to move past her and exit the doorway of the workshop, but she held him back. "This isn't about me," she exclaimed. "This is about you, and your safety. What if you find another Krayt Dragon out there, or some Sand People? What would you do then? I can't risk you doing this, Luke. Not when there's a chance you'll find nothing."<br>"You're gonna have to worry then," he replied, shouldering past her. "C'mon Artoo!"  
>"Artoo is staying." Luke whirled around, "Don't you understand? I need the message. There's a chance she hasn't seen this and is wondering what the hell is going on. Without Artoo there's no point!"<br>"Exactly," the steel in Leia's eyes was all too palpable. "And I won't force you. Either you prove me wrong by somehow bringing this so-called hermit Jedi back here, or you don't risk yourself with your recklessness and stay where it is safe." Luke matched steel with steel. "I'll prove you wrong," he said.

Luke was still fuming as he entered the canyon where him and Annie had last encountered the Krayt Dragon five years earlier. It was wide, and in its vastness had many small pathways through gaps between the walls of rock. For a first time looking upon this, knowing the right path through this place would have been almost overwhelming, but he'd been here before, and he felt he knew the way to the Krayt Dragon's cave.  
>After some time between ten and fifteen minutes had passed, as he continued hovering on his sand speeder further into the canyon, taking a few twists and turns here and there through tight gaps, he emerged into a sort of clearing. It felt like he was on the right track, and this looked a lot similar to where he and Annie may have been when they'd been still searching for the Krayt Dragon. There was a wide expanse of bare sandy ground, on either side of him towering red cliffs. He drove his speeder off to one side, disembarked it and walked over to the far side, where there was a scalable formation of rock. He wondered if there might have been another path leading on up there. He began scaling it, being careful of his footing. After a few more seconds he reached the top, clambering over the edge.<br>And he was staring right into a group of Sand People.  
>He gasped audibly in shock as they turned and came upon him, shouting at him in their guttural language. Panicking, he tried to edge back from them, feeling around areas of his clothing for something, anything, to use as a weapon. Blast! His rifle was back down with his sand speeder. He cried out as the ground he was stepping back across gave way and he fell back down the rock face. The momentum of his fall forced him to land back unsteadily on his feet, and he glanced between the Sand People and his speeder, stumbling closer towards his speeder. His head felt like mush and he couldn't think straight, but there were at least six or seven Tusken Raiders advancing towards him now, pikes and other menacing-looking close quarters weapons in their filthy hands. One of them was slightly ahead of the others, and he bore two vicious looking blades the length of Luke's forearm: the leader of the pack. They were only stalking him now, like a cat playing with a mouse, but Luke knew from past close encounters that this could easily turn into a charge. To make matters worse, he had no means of defense. They'd chanced upon him unarmed and outnumbered and they knew it. They were biding their time, and Luke realized with a bout of fresh panic that they'd nearly encircled him around his own speeder. He had the hunting rifle it would be no use in close quarters, and any sudden movements of attack from him would result in his death. They were getting closer and closer, becoming eager, voicing it through their harsh grunts, snarls and cries. Luke cursed himself for not having listened to Leia before. He knew this was stupid, and fruitless, but all other attempts at anything else had failed. He took a deep breath and yelled out for help at the top of his voice until his throat ran dry, and yet they still closed in. The Raiders were merely two or three metres away from him now, and the leader pushed forward so that he was half that distance. He drew back his ugly blade to finish the job, and suddenly, a horrific sound echoed through the open space, reverberating against the harsh red rock. The leader and the rest of his group stopped very suddenly, and Luke could suddenly feel their fear as well as he felt his own. It was the sound of none other than a Krayt Dragon. They panicked, breaking off from him and darting back away from the sound like rabid dogs, moving back into the depths of the canyon.<br>Luke breathed out a huge breath and slid down his sandspeeder till he was sitting against it with his back, head down, the adrenaline wearing off and tiredness kicking in. His head began to ache, and he felt a few bruises on his face, as well as several other aches around his body. He didn't think he was seriously injured, though.

It seemed like an age he sat there unmoving, until a shadow loomed over him. "Are you alright?" the voice of a woman spoke. Luke raised his head and tried to identify the figure beneath the hood, but all he could see was the blinding reflection of the Twin Suns.  
>"Here, let me help you," the voice said again, and two hands reached under his armpits and dragged him up. He leaned against her for support. "Are you…" Luke tried to ask, but his injuries from having fallen down the small rock face, especially the one to his head, were hindering him.<br>"Shh," the voice spoke softly. "I'll explain everything once you are in a fit state to listen. All you need to know is that you are safe now."


	4. Chapter Three

**Author's note: (again) Thanks again guys for all the reviews! It's nice seeing one's working being judged positively by others. Before anyone else asks, no, this will not follow canon events in the original storyline. Each character with ultimately have their unique path, and the canon settings and events at the beginning are merely a solid foundation from which to build the story on, which again will be completely unique. Cheers! :)**

Luke awoke slowly, at first not sure of where he was. The first couple of things that became aware to his senses were that he could hear a crackling sound, and the smell of smoke filled his nostrils.  
>He groaned, as a terrible headache hit him as if he were experiencing a hangover.<br>"You did fall pretty hard," a voice spoke to him, as if reading his mind. "I have something to help ease the pain, once you're ready to sit up, that is."  
>Luke didn't feel he could, but something made him that wasn't his aching mind and body, but that of curiosity. He saw that he was in a large cave, and the light of a small fire flickered against the walls. He realized all of a sudden that this was the same cave he and Annie had come to five years earlier to face the Krayt Dragon.<br>Sitting by the fire, warming her hands was a female with orange skin, with strange markings on her face and head tails extending down to the height of her stomach. From holopads Luke had read over years of wanting to explore the galaxy, she looked to be a Togruta. She smiled back at him as he studied her. Luke had a sudden fearful thought, and looked back to where a cool breeze was coming from. He made to get to his feet, "Oh God. I've been out to long, I've got to get back home!"  
>"That wouldn't be wise," the female said, in a way that told him it was not a good idea. "Tatooine at night is no place for you, me, or anyone to be exposed to." When Luke didn't say anything else, she beckoned to him. "Besides, I have lots to tell you, Luke Skywalker. Sit by the fire where you won't become frozen in carbonite."<br>Luke did as he was told and sat close to her. He had so many burning questions to ask this person, and the first one tumbled out of his mouth. "Are you Ahsoka?"  
>She laughed, "Why do you say that as if it carries some great significance? Yes, I am Ahsoka. Ahsoka Tano." She held out her hand. For a Jedi, she was very forthcoming. Luke had expected her to be more withdrawn like so many others he'd heard about. They shook hands, and then Ahsoka continued. "Down to business," she said. "Before you ask any more questions. I need to tell you my bit first. No shortcuts, no cryptic lines.<br>"So, as you have probably already guessed, I'm a Jedi, or used to be I suppose. I was exiled from the Order after being framed for a crime that I didn't commit. Soon after they found the true perpetrator and the Council apologized, but I wasn't going to stick around. It'd be harder picking up from where I left off than if I were to leave. My Master was heartbroken, but anyway. That's another story. Your mother gave birth to you and your sister soon after the Jedi Purge, and I took you both to Tatooine, where Owen and Beru Lars would keep you safe and look after you. I've remained here, a hermit, keeping an eye on you both, watching you two grow up"  
>"Why the secrecy though?" Luke asked her. "Who were my mother and father?"<br>"Are," she corrected him, smiling. "Your parents are both still alive from what I know of. Your mother is Padme Amidala, a senator of the Republic, and now I assume the Rebel Alliance. Your father is Anakin Skywalker, who was my Master, and is a Jedi, which is why you have been raised secretly all this time. If the Empire knew of your existence, you would have died years ago. Both you and Leia."  
>The true implications of what Luke had just been told hit him all at once. He finally realized why the man sending the message had looked so similar to himself. It was because it had been Anakin himself. "So, does this mean I'm force sensitive? Do you know where my parents are?"<br>Ahsoka laughed, "I know where Padme is, yes, but not Anakin. I haven't heard from him since he came to see me on Corellia all those years ago." Luke suddenly remembered the holo message. "Hey," he said. "Speaking of which, I have a message from Artoo. It was from Anakin to you, and I think he explains everything about what happened in detail, from what I can tell."  
>Ahsoka eyes shined, "Where is he? Artoo?"<br>"He's back at the homestead. I'd have brought him with me, but-"  
>"No, no that's fine. I was going to come back with you tomorrow anyway."<br>"Really?"  
>Ahsoka sighed, "Well, it's not as if I'm going to be a hermit for another twenty years. I'd rather do something then nothing. I need to get back to my allies and I need to find Anakin."<p>

**Bit of a short chapter, this one, but I want the story to flow and for you to not have to read it in massive chunks! - Thomas**


	5. Chapter Four

Something disrupted him from his slumber. His eyes opened up from their darkness into the darkness of his own reality. He was awake inside a coffin; within a chamber of eternal sleep made for when his sorrow reached its infinitesimal peak or his mind chose to rest. He rarely did this anymore however, because he was finally making some progress in working through his tumult of grief.  
>Light began to crack through the darkness as the fissure opened up, and the platform he was strapped to raised up from the ground until it was vertical to the ground, and he hung off it, his scarred and burned lower torso and the stumps which had once been legs visible for all to see, except that there were only two pairs of eyes locked on him at present. They were his personal medical assistants, tasked with monitoring his sleep around the clock, making sure his vital signs were sustained.<br>"Darth Drideas," one of them spoke, a human female dressed in attire not too dissimilar to an imperial officer's garb, but white. "Your Master has summoned you." The Negotiator spoke, and his voice reverberated through the room in a ghastly and haunting tune, laced with sorrow, yet filled with anger. It made the blood of both his assistants turn to ice, and sent shivers up their spines.  
>"Why does he want me?"<br>"He… he has sent an escort to take you to him," spoke the male assistant nervously. "He has said he requires you, and nothing more."  
>"I see no need for that nonsense. Am I a suspect threat, Terek?"<br>The assistant named Terek stuttered, "I… I don't… understand?"  
>The Negotiator smiled at him thinly, his yellow eyes lapping up his nervousness. He was about to say something more when the metallic doors slid open ahead of them, and one Imperial Officer and four armed Stormtroopers entered through.<br>"What is the meaning of this!" the female assistant demanded. "Give the Negotiator some privacy, he is in the process of rehabilitation and will be presenting himself shortly, I suggest-".  
>The Imperial cut her off with his silky, snobby voice. "I am of superior ranking here, my dear. We are the ones who will be escorting the Negotiator to the Emperor, not you. We will wait where we like until he is fit to be present."<br>"How dare you speak-" she started at the Officer.  
>"No need," The Negotiator cut through her with a voice of gravel. "I will see to them myself."<br>As soon as he said the words, the Officer, along with his accompanying troops, were dragged into the air by an invisible force, as if ropes had detached themselves from the ceiling and wrapped tightly round their necks. The Officer's face was turning blue, then purple. Him and his cohort hung there, in the grip of unshakeable power. There was pregnant pause, then, the audible sound of necks breaking simultaneously reverberated throughout the walls, and it was as if a puppets' strings had been cut: the bodies fell limply to the floor, unmoving. Terek stood there motionless, in shock, while the woman turned away to retch.  
>"Bring me my legs, my hand, and detach me from these restraints," The Negotiator commanded, and after a beat, Terek moved to do so, his face pale.<br>"Woman," his voice rang across to her. "Wipe your eyes and mouth, and bring me my attire."  
>"Just a robe, Master?"<br>"No. My suit, all of it. I've bided my time on this flagship long enough. I wish to make my presence felt again."  
>She nodded, her face written with fear, disgust, horror, and excitement all at once. It was an interesting expression to watch.<p>

After his robotic limbs had been attached, The Negotiator slipped into his black exoskeleton, rigged with protection ranging from practical armor pieces, to all kinds of assortments of life support systems, which kept the problems with his inner anatomy he would have struggled with at bay. The assistants, Terek and Ryssa, donned his cloak, which he shrugged over his shoulders, and Ryssa did up the gold clasp.  
>"My lightsaber," he spoke in a final curt manner. When it was handed to him, he took a moment to study it. It was an elegant weapon, similar to the one he had used when he had been a Jedi, except where there had been once a sense of fulfillment with it, there was now only the prospect of death and suffering. He attached it to his belt, and without another word, walked out of the room, the doors sliding open and shut in his wake.<br>As The Negotiator walked through the corridors of the ship, which were lined red; memories he had long suppressed began to flood him. "The Duchess…" he muttered under his breath. "The Duchess… is dead."  
>Both mentally and physically, he was accompanied with pain and sorrow wherever he went. This was why he took to cryo sleep. It would send him away from all those things when they became too much to bear, and would take him away from unwanted memories laced with venom that constantly attacked his mind over and over again.<br>More sorrowful memories caught up with him as he entered the lift, which began taking him up to the bridge. "Skywalker…" he whispered. "I-" a guttural growl emerged from his throat as the anger surfaced. "Anakin," he spoke through gritted teeth. "He did this. He made me like this…"  
>All at once, as the lift stopped and the top level had been reached, The Negotiator felt the apex of these emotions and only just managed to suppress them, where they bubbled deep inside him. He was stronger now than he had been before, because the powers of the Dark Side gave him a new purpose, and embraced him when everything else in the universe turned its back. The unending pain within his thoughts was still there, and he still felt it, but he pushed through, and cast them aside as best he could for now.<br>He made his way forward, relishing the awe and fear of the _Evisceration's_ crew as he crossed towards the edge, where another dark figure stood, awaiting him.  
>"My apprentice," it spoke from underneath the hood.<br>"You wanted to see me, My Lord?"  
>"The way you addressed your escort was most dissatisfactory," Sidious spoke, a hard edge to his voice. "They were useful men, and you had them killed."<br>"They are only pawns, my master. The lack of maturity and respect with way they treated my assistants and myself was punishable by death, and so I dealt that punishment."  
>There was a momentary pause, in which Darth Sidious's cold gaze studied him, and the tension between them grew to the point where it was as if it was balanced on the tip of an iceberg. The eyes of a sickly yellow told him a clear message: Don't make this any more difficult.<br>Which he wouldn't.  
>For now.<br>"There has been a disturbance in the force," his Master spoke. "I fear our enemy is growing stronger, and the Empire must hold its grip on those who resist."  
>"What would you have me do, then?"<br>"You have heard of the Skywalker twins, have you not?"  
>The name brought sheer anger into his turmoil of emotions. "Yes," he spat.<br>"I fear they may be of valuable inspiration to the Rebellion, and I want them captured alive."  
>"How would I find them?"<br>"Have your senses been wasted on you, Drideas?" Sidious scorned him. "One can easily sense a being with powerful potential. Or is it that your festering hate has blinded you from them?"  
>"It appears this may be the case, My Lord."<br>Sidious chuckled, "You have much to learn yet, my apprentice. My spies have located possible leads, one of the most likely being Tatooine. Have the troops assigned there interrogate each and every homestead. Have them kill if necessary."  
>"Yes, Master," the Negotiator spoke, staring alongside him, into the endless stars of space, and beyond that, his own reflection in the glass. His features were gaunt, and his hollow cheekbones and sunken fiery eyes reflected the visage of hell. His hair and beard, which had once been of a healthy brown, was now a startling, striking white, and the hair hanging over his face like curtains. The colour was not because he was aging, but because of what he had become, what all his pain, loss and suffering had done to him. It had broken him and reshaped him into a monster. He was no longer the proud Jedi Master he had once been, but a hollow shell, and an empty vessel.<br>"It will be done," he whispered.

**Hope you guys liked this version of Obi-Wan I have created! It's been a long time coming, and says a lot about how one simple change in a main character can have huge repercussions on how the story changes!**


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